00:00We're going to have speeches by the way, we're going to have music, we're going to have fun, we're going to be in the community.
00:14It's so fantastic to see so many people already. We'll be playing some music shortly. Bear with us while we hit the PA zone.
00:30We'll be playing some music.
01:00We'll be playing some music.
01:29We'll be playing some music.
01:59We'll be playing some music.
02:29We'll never be defeated.
02:31We'll never be defeated.
02:38Refugees are welcome here.
02:41Refugees are welcome here.
02:53Refugees are welcome here.
02:55Refugees are welcome here.
02:57This is what community looks like.
02:59This is what community looks like.
03:01This is what community looks like.
03:03This is what community looks like.
03:13because he looks like
03:43Oh
04:13Legal immigrants committing crimes, not just here in Colcombe and well across the UK, but
04:38I want to be clear, this is not just about immigrants living in another town or illegal immigration.
04:43Whether it's an illegal immigrant, a local resident or someone from anywhere else in
04:48the UK, if you commit serious crimes such as sexual assault, rape or offences against
04:53children and women, you should face the justice. And that justice should be served with
05:01harsh your sentences for these types of offences. And see first hand how unfair the court process
05:08can be and how much it can vary depending on who is standing in front of the judge or even
05:13which judge is sitting that day. That inconsistency destroys trust in the system. It needs to change.
05:20Justice should never depend on where you were born, your background or who you know. It
05:25should depend on only the crime committee. Like we have seen in recent times with the
05:30likes of Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for a social media post. And then Ricky Jones, the
05:35Labour councillor, who was found not guilty after making comments about slapping people's
05:40throats at a London rally. I also want to be open about my story. I was not brought up in
05:47care. But because of my behaviour as a teenager, I ended up in residential. I've been on the
05:54wrong side of the law. I've faced criminal charges too. But I've worked hard to turn my
05:59life around and I'm proud of where I've came from. I understand first hand how our systems
06:05work. From care to justice can both help and fail people. And I know how crime impacts
06:11communities like ours. Part of the reason I'm standing here today is because I'm a father.
06:16Nearly six years ago, I became a stepdad to a boy who totally changed my thinking. In 2021,
06:23my son was born like any parent. I want both of them to grow up safe with a future full of
06:29opportunity. But looking at the way this country is being run right now, the decisions being made
06:34by those in power, I worry about the world they inherit if things keep going the way they're going.
06:39That's why I can't sit back and say nothing and neither should any single worry use.
06:46We've also discussed a long list of problems in our area. Reports of unlicensed taxi drivers
06:54and food delivery drivers. Grown men hanging around parts and streets. People being followed
07:00at night and made to feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Parents no longer feeling confident
07:04letting their young girls or boys walk to and from school through Calendar Park. Delayed
07:09council repairs, housing problems, attacks on vulnerable residents. These are the real concerns
07:14affecting people here and now and they all deserve attention.
07:24Today is about standing together, not tearing each other apart. I'm asking everyone here
07:29to keep this peaceful, passionate and be honest. But let's make sure we show the strength for
07:35Falkirk in the right way. Now I want to speak directly to those who are meant to represent
07:44and protect us. Police Scotland, Falkirk Council, every local councillor, you were elected or
07:51appointed to serve your constituents. That means all of us, not just the ones who agree
07:56not just the ones whose views fit a narrative into your political narrative. And then Falkirk
08:04District Trade Union. Where do we start with them? The unions stand up to racism, creating
08:10false accusations and targeting everyone that opposes their vision as racist and far right.
08:17When people in Falkirk raise concerns about safety, crime or the way our town is being run,
08:23your first instinct should be to listen and act, not to label, dismiss or try and twist the
08:29conversation into something it's not. We are not racists. We are not far right. We are parents,
08:35grandparents, workers, residents who care about our community and the next generation growing into it.
08:45Do you please Scotland, your role is to protect the public and enforce the law fairly. That means
08:50full transparency. When information is withheld or crimes are downplayed, it damages trust.
08:56It leaves people asking, what else are we not being told? That's how, not how to build safer streets.
09:02To the local press and reporters, your job is to tell the truth even when it's uncomfortable.
09:08Hiding or softening facts does not protect the public. It leaves them in the dark. And when people are kept in the dark, fear grows.
09:18To the decision makers at every level, understand this. Our call today is simple. We want accountability for everyone who breaks the law,
09:28no matter where they come from or what their background is. If you commit a serious offence like sexual assault,
09:34rape or crimes against children, justice must be served fairly, consistently, and without states of treatment.
09:46I've seen the justice system for the inside. I know how uneven it can be. But I've also seen how communities can come together and demand change when they refuse to be silenced.
09:58So here's my message. We're not going away. We're not going to be intimidated into silence. And we're certainly not going to be except written up, except being written off as extremists.
10:10Extremists for wanting a safer fall cut. We want answers. We want action. And we want the same thing every decent person should want.
10:20A community where our children can grow safe. I'd like to open the floor to anyone who wants to speak.
10:26Whether you've been affected directly by crime, have concerns about your family's safety, or ideas how to make Folkert safer. Your voice matters here. Now.
10:38We want to be in. It's just a bit of a shout. I didn't mean to be attacked by football.
10:41So, in fact, our society, has gone crazy and it doesn't mean to be safe.
10:52I feel that we are getting followed. We've got unfestying people in the country.
10:56We are being affected.
10:58We're being affected by the people as well.
11:01We're being affected by the country.
11:02We're being affected by the country.
11:03We have to be affected by the people that are being affected by the enemies.
11:05We are being affected by the country.
11:06We've got unvetted people in the country and no one knows what's going on, there's no transparency and that's what we need.
11:12We need transparency so we know what we're dealing with and we don't have that.
11:18I wasn't going to speak but people have asked me to speak because obviously I'm here, I'm a councillor, I'm uniform, I deal with everybody every single day.
11:26And all that matters to me is that the people have thought that I heard, to the right organisations, in front of the right people and I'm fighting to do that.
11:35I'm in the police, I'm in the organisations and I'm trying to do better for the people of Folkirk and that's what matters.
11:42So I'm here for these, I'll do better time for these and it always goes for the people of Folkirk.
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